FAIRBANKS, AK --- Elliot Dimaculangan scored a career-high 26-points and had six steals to lead the SFU men's basketball team to its first conference win of the season, 78-69, over Alaska Thursday at the Patty Center.
 
SFU opened the second half on a 22-6 run to turn a four-point halftime deficit into a 12-point lead, 56-44, with 12 minutes to go. SFU never trailed again although an Alaska surge pulled the Nanooks to within three points, 66-63, with 2:23 to play, and to four points, 72-68, with 56 seconds left.
 
SFU is now 6-10 overall, and 1-5 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play. The Red Leafs average 70.3 points and 37.4 rebounds per game. They had 78 points and 26 rebounds Thursday.
 
SFU leads the GNAC and ranks sixth in Division II with 5.4 blocked shots per game but had just one block against the Nanooks.
 
Dimaculangan scored his 26 points on 8-of-13 shooting, going 6-of-9 on threes. He also grabbed four rebounds in 32 minutes to lead four Red Leafs in double figures.
 
David Penney scored 13-points, connecting on 3-of-4 threes as SFU shot 47.8 percent (11-of-23) from beyond the arc. SFU shot well on free throws going 19-of-22.
 
Dimaculangan and Penney, along with teammate Hunter Cruz-Dumont will be celebrated Thursday, Jan. 26 at home on Filipino Heritage Night, a game that will feature DJ Danglez, Filipino entertainers, Shameless Buns food service and a poster giveaway of the three Filipino players.
 
The other SFU players to score in double figures were Immanuel Oludele with 11-points and Zach Stone with 10, going 3-of-3 from the field and 4-of-4 at the line.
 
Abdullahi Mohamed and Jaycson Bereal, Jr. had 21-points each for Alaska (6-8 overall, 1-5 GNAC).
 
Simon Fraser plays Saturday at Alaska Anchorage (8:30 p.m. PT tipoff). The team returns home for two games next week.
 
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